And the kicker is that the manager can't tell you that it's because of upper management because that would destroy morale even more, I'm not sure that's the ca

And the kicker is that the manager can't tell you that it's because of upper management because that would destroy morale even more, I'm not sure that's the case. I've worked at a few large corporations, and I've always appreciated it when my direct manager has told me flat out that a specific deadline or priority shift is due to politics outside of the organization. In fact, I'll go further to say that doing what you recommend will do more to erode morale than being honest and forthright with the team. Whenever there's an urgent request or a priority shift, the team will ask questions, and will expect the manager to have an answer. There is a temptation here, to try to reach for grandiose answers in order to try to justify why the new priority is the most important thing in the world. But the problem is that people talk. They'll quickly find out whether the shift in direction was due to an actual changing market need or whether it was due some executive wanting to look good in front of his or her peers in the boardroom. And when that information leaks, it'll do far more to destroy morale than a simple admission of politics up front would have. If the manager is lying to the team about this stuff, what else could they be lying about?